He stumbled blindly and sleepily down the dark hallway. Anoise coming from one of the rooms stopped him though. It sounded as if someone were crying. He could barely hear it, but he was sure. Tohru was crying. Alarmed, he started to open the door, then hesitated. It would be intruding on his part just to walk in uninvited. However, the sound of her crying was getting progressively louder. I worried the curious Kyo.
He knocked lightly on the door frame before swinging the door open just enough for him to take a cautious step inside the room. "Tohru?" he whispered. Curious and concerned, he glanced at her bed. Empty. Not only was Tohru not in the bed, but her blankets were gone as well. Kyo was beginning to get panicked. Where could she be? Wait. He could still hear her crying+but where was it coming from. He carefully walked the rest of the way into the room.
From his new spot he heard a sharp intake of breath and a sniffling noise. "K-Kyo Kun?" He spun around just in time to see a small movement in the corner of the room furthest from the window. He squinted and looked again, just to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He made his way towards her, turning on her bedside lamp on the way. There she was, huddled in the corner of her room with her comforter wrapped tightly around her tiny frame. Her cheeks were shiny where the tears had been flowing, and her knuckles were white from gripping the blanket.
Silently he dropped down on his knees in front of her. His eyes were full of wordless concern and curiosity. "What happened Tohru?" he asked simply, trying to figure out exactly the situation he was getting into. When she didn't answer, he nonchalantly took her hand in his, like it was an everyday thing. She sat for a moment, presumable in shock, gazing confusedly into Kyos fiery orange eyes. She seemed to calm down a bit, and Kyo was beginning to think maybe there hadn't been anything really wrong, when lightning hit. Not the house, but somewhere close by. In seconds a horrible cracking noise filled the room. The single light in the room flickered and went out.
Kyo felt something crash into him, knocking him back into a sitting position. Instinctively, he grabbed his attacker to throw them off. His hands met soft skin and long, silky hair, and he froze. Had Tohru just jumped him? He felt a smile cross his features. Then he realized she was shaking. "Tohru," he mumbled into her hair, "Why did you just tackle me?" He felt her stiffen. She pulled back from him, glancing up for a second. She looked embarrassed . Her cheeks flushed and she looked away.
"I'm sorry Kyo Kun," she frowned. She started to get up. "I wasn't thinking-did I hurt you?" She shakily started to stand, still avoiding Kyos eyes. He stopped her though, pulling her into his lap just as more thunder shook the windows of the house. She yelped involuntarily at the sound. He hugged her close, feeling unexplainably protective. She didn't fight him. She just let him hold her, and slowly, her shaking and shuddering stopped.
"Tohru, are you afraid of thunder?" Kyo questioned, his lips nearly touching her ear. She made a small, surprised noise. He felt her nod against his chest. He blinked. Why hadn't he figured this out before? All those times he had laid in his bed, cursing silently under his breath as storms loomed overhead, wishing that they would go away so he could sleep. Had Tohru been this frightened every time? He grimaced at the thought. He felt a wave of some foreign emotion come over him. It was a mix of compassion and something else+he wasn't sure what. All he knew was that he wasn't going to let the thunder hurt Tohru anymore.
Suddenly, to Tohrus surprise, Kyo stood up, sweeping her into his arms, and carrying her over to her bed. She flinched as more thunder sounded, but it didn't effect her as it had earlier. She grabbed his hand though, afraid he was going to leave her, and she would have to face the storm alone. He just smiled crookedly and sat down next to her, scooping her into his lap once again. He leaned back against her headboard, closing his eyes. "Don't worry," he whispered, "I'm not leaving." He knew that if Shigure or that damn Yuki walked in at this moment, he would never hear the end of it. But part of him didn't care. The part that wanted Tohru to feel safe and Protected. The part, he realized, with a jolt, that loved her. And that was all that mattered.
He felt Tohru snuggle in his chest, sighing contentedly. Within minutes he could feel her deep, even breathing, and he knew she was asleep. He glanced at the clock. 2am. Shit. Well, at least someone is getting some sleep, he thought, his eyes drifting down to the innocently beautiful girl that lay trustingly in his arms.